Interview: Onplanetzu Talks About His New Music Video "Evening News"
What are some things that inspire your creativity when developing new music? Also, what do you look for in the production that you write to and record?
First part of this question, there is no main type of formula that happens, we are so gifted beings that inspiration, just a natural vibrations, that hit you at any given time, either some thing you feel, hurt, angry, sad, are walking down the street, a picture or a sound, so that's my process.
What i look for in production, is first stay away from trends sounding things, we create our unique sound just like groups was back into the day, Wu-Tang, Black Sheep, Busta Rhymes, De la Soul etc. When you heard these groups you instantly knew their sound; that is what we going for.
When it comes to putting things to record always trying out do my self and push the envelope to raise the bar.
Congratulations on the release of your new music video for "Evening News". Why was it important for you to bring your song to life visually?
Because listening to a song is one thing, but when you put the visuals to the art, it takes on a hole different meaning putting the voice to the artist.
At this time i felt the new generation is clueless on the history of our enslavement and police brutality. Injustice been going on for decades; I am just reporting, nothing has changed.
Tell us about your motivation to create the song itself initially.
As artists we all have a duty to be socially conscious, and to have at least one of those kinda songs on the album, was not about me being a artist, it was about me being just a human being wanting the same rights as white folks have equality. Just like Marvin Gaye wrote “What's Going On”, this was our what's going on in today’s times.
What would you say has been your biggest accomplishment musically thus far in your career?
My biggest accomplishment I would say I have a few. I had the pleasure to meet Prince and play for him for his birthday before he died. He gave me some words of encouragement, and told me to keep doing what I was doing, soon they all going be following you.
Two, I met up with George Clinton at a Battle of the Bands show. He liked me so much, we went back to his hotel and wrote a song called “Headphones” and toured with him for a while.
Three, the late Ol Dirty Bastard of Wu-Tang, i did a song with his son Ol DIrty Bastard Jr called “Rude Boys”.
With "Evening News" now released, what are some of your goals musically for the rest of 2020?
Now that's a million dollar question to answer. To be honest with you, our career to a huge turn. March 12, 2020 was our last show, we were scheduled to tour South Africa, Canada,Japan, Germany, and back to US tour to the end of the year. Since this virus hit, everything got on hold. In the meantime, putting out singles and live stream shows. Not sure how this ends to tell you the truth.